The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-02-01
DIAMOND CUTTING.
The Art as Practised in the
Great Diamond Centre.
Various Processes Requiring Uniformity
and Nicely of Touch.

A San Francisco Chronicle correspond
ent who has visited the diamond quarter
of Amsterdam, Holland, says :: It is
strange to think that the art of cutting
the diamond, though tho stone itself has
been held precious from q period which
a%ntedatcs history, should only have been
discovered in tho sixteenth century. Be-
fore that time rough diamonds only were
used, and those were preferred which pre-
scntcd naturally a pyramidal figure, and
which were set with the point projecting.
In 1916 Louis de Bergucm discovered the
art of cutting the stone and of polishing
it with its own dust. Then for the first
time its true beauty was revealed. 1t has
from time to time been cut in many
forms, as an e may sec who examines
models of those most famous. but
only two are now employed
by skillful lapidarles the rose
and the brilliant. The rose cutting is
only for thin stones. It presents on one
side a pyramid of triangular facets and
on the other a fiat surface to be hidden
by the mounting. The brilliant, on the
contrary, presents on one side a fiat sur
face, surrounded by triangular facets,
and on the other a pyramid of facets, in
tended to be placed openly in the set
ting and to reflect the light. Most of
the diamond cutting and polishing es-
Establishments arc in Zwanenburger STRAIT,
and unless n has a guide he finds the
locality with difficulty. Once found,
there is no trouble about seeing the
operations. The proprletors arc only
too glad to receive visitors, who may be-
come customers, for there is agood deal
of rivalry in the business. The concierge
conducts them through the place, re-
cciving half q form (21 cents for the
service.
The work is carried on several floors,
and the processes, though nice, are
simple, uniform and easily under
stood. The power is supplied by a
handsome. steam engine in the basement
in a very simple manner. By means of
cogs it is transferred to upright shafts
running up through the differ ent floors.
These have great horizontal pullics from
which it is conveyed to the polishing
wheels ranged along tho sides of the
rooms. These arc also horizontal. The
6rst operation consists in dividing the
diamond as many times as is deemed
necessary. Technically this is called
cleavage. and it is one of the miracles of
nature that the hardest substance known
is capable Of such minute separation. 1t
is the business of the skillful
workman to find the cleavage by
following the seams of its
crystalline forms which run parallel to
the faces of a regular octahcdron. Hav-
ing found it he fixes the rough diamond
on tho end of a stick, or mandrel, by
means of a cement which is easily soft
encd by heat, but hardens quickly, hold
ing the stone in its place with the
requisite tenacity. Then by the aid of
another diamond having a cutting edge
and fixed to another mandrcl in the same
manner, he traces q line along the face
of the hard crystal. 1t is only necessary
then to apply tho edge of a small sharp
instrument to the line he has traced,
give q smart blow and the diamond
quickly separates at the point desired.
The first cutting is done by q work.
man whose hands are protected by thick
gloves, who, having fixed two diamonds
%immovably in the manner just described,
rubs them briskly together, which re-
suits in giving the form rose or the form
brilliant, according to the nature of the
stone or the preference of the master.
These manipulations of the diamond are
performed over little boxes, that not q
particle of the powder be lost. The
men engaged in it sit at a little table or
bench adjacent to the main room, whose
appurtenances are all of the most print
tive description. The polishing is per-
formed with great exactitude. The hori-
zontal wheels or disks used for it are of
steel, about a foot in diameter. The
| diamond dust is mixed with it before
being applied. The diamond is firmly
fixed in an egg-shapcd piece Of lead in
such a name that only the surface
to be applied to the disk is
exposed. TO the lead is at
tachcd a sort of stem or short handle,
which is taken by the polisher by means
of a pair of pincers. When touched to
the disc the pincers arc held immovable
bv two nieces of iron. ono of which